Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that while his country does not seek conflict, it is fully prepared to face any unlawful attack by the United States, warning that Tehran is ready for all options in response to rising tensions.
He tells Al Jazeera that “If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it.”
Tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators take to the streets in a show of force after weeks of deadly protests as Iran continues to be cut off from the internet for a fifth-straight day.
Meanwhile, China says it opposes “any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction” after President Donald Trump says nations doing business with Iran will face a 25 percent tariff on US trade.
On the other hand, Qatar is trying to mediate the rising tensions and threats of war between the US and Iran over the deadly demonstrations during the past two weeks.
“There are expectations that the current tension will lead to an escalation in the region, and we are trying to de-escalate the situation,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said at a news conference in Doha.
“We know that any escalation … would have catastrophic results in the region and beyond and, therefore, we want to avoid that as much as possible.”
Al-Ansari added diplomacy is the most effective way to resolve regional crises, and “we are working on this with our neighbours and partners.”
“We are a party to the contacts aimed at calming the situation in the region and resolving the disputes between Washington and Tehran,” he said.
More than 100 security personnel have been killed in recent days, Iran’s state media report, while opposition activists say the death toll is higher and includes hundreds of protesters.
bd-pratidin/GR
